Today on ABC This Week, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) criticized Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) for being absent for so many Senate roll call votes, saying that “Sen. Obama’s been gone more than he’s been here.” Watch it:
Of course, Graham failed to mention that his candidate, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) remains the most absent member of the Senate, beating even Obama. McCain has missed 63.8 percent of the votes in the 110th Congress; Obama has missed 45.5 percent.
The New York Times reports that President Bush recently held an off-the-record meeting with conservative writers. During the meeting, Council on Foreign Relations fellow Max Boot asked Bush why he had diverted from the priorities of his first term. “That’s ridiculous,” Bush said. Boot then read from a Wall Street Journal op-ed by war hawk John Bolton in which Bolton said Bush’s presidency is “in total intellectual collapse.” Bush then lashed out at Bolton:
Bush grew more agitated at the mention of his own former senior diplomat. “Let me just say from the outset that I don[base ']Äôt consider Bolton credible,” the president said bitterly. Bush had brought Bolton into the top ranks of his administration, fought for Senate confirmation and, when lawmakers balked, defied critics to give the hawkish aide a recess appointment. “I spent political capital for him,” Bush said, and look what he got in return.
Matthew Yglesias notes, “Of course Bush is right, Bolton isn’t a credible thinker on national security issues. But Bolton is also right [base ']Äî the inherent unworkability of the Bush doctrine has persuaded Bush to substantially abandon it in the waning days of his administration.”
Conscience is the inner voice that warns us somebody may be looking.
- H. L. Mencken
In this election, it is the character of the candidate that will matter the most.
That, and pretty much that alone, has been the core campaign message Republican candidate John McCain has been peddling to all and sundry for nearly two years.
